The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-03-24
Familiarity of Local Newspapers.

| There are few towns of any size in the Unit
ed States that do not support their local news
papers. With the great facilities now offered,
there is no excuse for a poorly printed paper,
unless in some Of the smaller villages the cor
poration lacks capital. With such fine form
the subject matter of the newspaper should
correspond. Local newspapers, however, are
assuming too familiar tone. 1t does not ap-
pear in the editorials. but principally in the To-
cal items sent in from the neighboring places.
The fault is to be found not merely in one or
two papers in :: state but in nearly all those pa
pcr> which represent >catteringly settled com
munitie>.
| The i,efSoAd column has grown within the
last decade TO iurma necessary adjunct to live
| newspaper. 1t is Il dcplorahlc fact that the
gathering of personal items is carried far.
But when such influential papers as the Boston
Herald. journal, ETC., deem it proper to resort
to them to increase the sale of their issues. then
lesser lights in the >papcr world will follow
their example. 1t does pay to insert personal
news. AMI 50 long as it continues to pay it will
be the fashion. for there is fashion in newspa-
per work well as in all other things.
Some people like to see their names in print
| and will buy an unlimited supply of copies to
send around to their Interested friends. As for
Others, the insertion Of their names in Il news
paper really seems to enrage them and they
will stop their subscription in order to spite the
Z! editor. who perhaps is ignorant of the fact that
| their names We're ever mentioned in his paper.
But the main point of this article is to speak
OF locals. newspaper in many respects is
| tit cdurat0r of tn" people. hence it should not
ranpcr the taste by descending to a low level,
II
| "Natcd style. Not necessarily a highly cultured
literary >tvlc-lcave that to the magaZinc-but
! it should dictate Il pure, simple. easily comprc-
hended tone.
For cXamplc-tew mothers allow their chill
irtn TO speak of their neighbor> by their chris
| tlan names without giNin. them the title of Mr..
which courtesy demands. Children are always
| eager to read the news in their own town PIT
l,crs and if the citizens are spoken of in it rs
J"hA This and Jim That, the boys, at least,
will soon learn to drop the Mr.. from these gem
t!eneu> NAMES in speaking. of and to them
lille it may be all right fora summer resort
paper. like the SIuid, to speak Of sam, the
grocery-man. Billy the barber, or Dan the mar
ket-man. it is scarcely respectful for a news
paper correspondent to write thus concerning
citizens of his own town. who may be gray
healct and are generally highly respected men.
The grocery-lnan. the barber. and the market
man have Just cause to feel indignant and the
effect on the community is apt to be somewhat
uemorallZinE.
1t may be ANNOYING to a woman to have the
l'1' ."i0il'ict' II >!e goes out OF town 10 40
''H >hoPpiii-' "tll II Is more 'hh annoy NJ
IL = even li>u'ilh! 10 nays 'he locai corfe>poii-
'' o'' 'ie o'ta>i'i' vi hti li''i lEa-e Moln we
item somewhat i'll this fashion, son the 2jth.
"i hl',ih '!''u -hl1, '"sn were h'.' Il. lieu nc
n1'Hr vas yea ~ hel. Mr. ~ soulu>
loi "h liie Wor'" a> IL 'he lanN was some Sort
oi Il via ahlhal aia was ohllgcu 10 De ES>oeo.
Another disagreeable feature is the mention
hl M u e,try S,lIn' ,i % pqsi'aoh; Mi l y: IN 's
pee'i htPt lh Iie mouse ~ IL sl9hi eo,o loi Il
week. or Miss Il. mas had an attack OF me
nea>Ie>. vs. arg 2ltu 10 lhlorh l!ef ADMIRERS
lha. Siie VIII ht OUT IN a icw Gays.
ne 'rouple lIes III lhc iatl that tiie con'iioll-
of> Oh ocai icttef> are sometimes iiot suHiceh-
y wen tu".ateu 10 "rile ~ any way SIahlnLill-